Our Life
by sunnymadden
Summary: A string of extraordinary events brings a group of roommates even closer to each other.
1. Chapter 1

*Author's Note: So yeah, I deleted my other story. I wasn't sure where I was going with it and it seems like you guys weren't digging it. So on that note, I will write you a new story. I hope this one goes better.*

"Good morning, Jack," Janet says, greeting her male roomate with a peck on the cheek.

"Good morning, Janet," Jack looks up from the frying pan and gives her a recipricol kiss on her cheek.

"What did you put in the scrambled eggs?"

"Peppers, onions, and mushrooms."

"Yum," she says opening the refridgerator door to grab some orange juice. "I'm so hungry this morning. Everything sounds great."

"Oh great," he says scraping some of the eggs on a plate for her. "I guess you'll be excited with the crap-on-a-stick lunch."

"Jack!" Janet exclaims, almost choking on a bite of wheat toast she just popped in her mouth. "Do you really have to be so crude?"

"You just aren't a fan of toilet humor, are you?"

"Well, not when I'm eating!"

"Anal retentive!" Jack laughs as he sits down with Janet at the table.

"Shut up and eat!"

It was a good breakfast. Jack nor Janet said a word until they heard Teri walk in the door. She had just got done working another all night double; three in the afternoon until seven fifteen in the morning. Jack and Janet felt sorry for her, she had to be so exhausted as this was her third one in a row.

"Sit down, honey," Jack says pulling up a chair for her at the table.

"Thanks, Jack. Mmmm! The eggs and toast look great!"

"Thank you."

Teri downed her breakfast with vigor. She had always been an emotional eater, especially after work. Whatever bad feelings she had were stuffed down deep with the help of food.

"I tell you what broke my heart last night," Teri said in between mouthfuls.

"What?" Janet inquired.

"Well, there was this poor woman and she had the worst heart attack I've seen in a long time."

"That's awful," Jack says looking up from the paper.

"Yeah, you should have seen her husband," she pauses for a moment to take a sip of creamy coffee. "He was so worried and sick over the whole ordeal. The woman is still in critical condition. Poor Helen."

Helen. The name struck a chord with Janet and Jack. Could it be? They looked each other with such a look of worry that it caused Teri to question them.

"Teri, what's Helen's husband's name?" Janet asked with eyes wide open and voice trembling.

"I don't recall the husband's name but their last name was Roper."

"Roper!" Jack and Janet screamed at each other in voices of horror.

"You know these people?"

"Yes! They were our landlords before Mr. Furley and his brother, Bart took over!" Jack explained and now it was Teri's turn to be shocked.

"Oh my God!"


	2. Chapter 2

Thank the heaven's it was a Saturday off for Janet because she would have plenty of time to visit Mrs. Roper. She got her room number from Teri before she retired to bed. Jack couldn't come due the demands of the restaurant and whether he admitted it to her or not, Janet knew he was uncomfotable around hospitals and sick people.

The bus ride was only twenty minutes long, but it seemed like hours. She was sick with worry for her beloved Mrs. Roper. She always considered her a great friend, warm and compassionate. She had become a sort of mother figure to her and that's what made it so hard for her when she and her husband left.

The memories fled back to her when she stepped off the bus and into the hospital. The pie fight at the Jack's contest, the way she got excited over Larry's streak at Jack's party, the crazy time when she tried to patch things up with Stanley and his bowling buddy. Janet found herself smiling as she went up the elevator to the sixth floor.

She braced herself when she came to room 606. She hoped she could handle herself when she saw her. Poor Helen. She wasn't attached to any machines, she just lied there so peaceful and she looked so beautiful. Maybe she was going to be okay.

"Ma'am?" a short, blonde nurse came up to Janet at the door.

"Hello."

"She passed away ten minutes ago."

Those words socked her in the chest. Totally knocked the wind out of her. She just couldn't believe it. Her old landlady, her friend, her mother figure, gone. Where was Stanley? Oh, God bless Stanley. The tears started to stream down her face and the nurse tried to calm her down.

"Are you her daughter?"

"No, no," Janet replied, wiping her eyes trying to regain her composure. "I was just good friends with her."

"I'm very sorry for your loss," the nice nurse said grabbing a hold of Janet's hand.

"Can I see her?"

"Yes. Take your time."

"Thank you so much," Janet says opening the door and walking over to the bed. She strokes Helen's forehead and gives her a kiss on the cheek.

"Our father," she begins to recite the Lord's prayer, holding her hand. "Who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptaion, but deliver us from evil."

"Amen."

Janet turns around to see Stanley standing at the doorway with tears in his eyes. Janet immeadiatley runs to him and embraces him with a warm hug and kiss.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Roper," says Janet not letting him go.

"Yeah, me too."


	3. Chapter 3

"Jack, honey," Janet bursts out sobbing in the telephone booth.

"Don't tell me..."

"She died... I wasn't there on time...I just feel terrible."

"Where are you, honey?"

"I'm still at Wilshire Memorial."

"Okay, Janet, listen to me. I'm going to catch a cab and come up there. I still got a couple of hours before I got to get this kitchen set up anyway."

"Okay."

He hung up before she could give him a proper goodbye. She sat down on the bench inside the booth to regain her composure. While getting a fresh tissue out of her purse, she found she had another dime.

_Call Chrissy!_

The thought of her old best friend popped into her head like a lightening bolt. She hadn't thought of her in a long time. Not out of hate or spite, it's just time had moved Janet along. She was always busy moving forward with her life then trying to dwell on her past.

She got up from the bench to make one last phone call to that one person who knew Mrs. Roper as well as she or Jack. Dropping the coin through and dialing, she wondered how Chrissy was doing. It wasn't like Chrissy herself tried to keep in touch lately either. With this thought, all Janet could do was pray that she was okay. Could it be she wasn't even in her parent's home anymore?

"Hello, Reverend Snow speaking," a friendly, familiar voice answered.

"Reverend Snow! It's Janet Wood!"

"Janet! Good to hear from you, darling!"

"Good to hear from you, too! Is Chrissy available?"

"Didn't you hear, Janet?"

"No. Oh please, tell me she's okay."

"I guess she never did tell you that she was getting married."

"_Married!_ Well, who'd she get married to?"

"His name is Pete Mahoney. They dated a couple of times in high school and when she moved back up here she went out with him again, apparantly really hitting it off. A very small wedding it was. Just me officiating, her mother, who's doing a lot better by the way, and Pete's brother, sister, and parents. They are in Hawaii on their honeymoon."

This was all just a blur for Janet. Everything seemed to be blowing up in her face right now. She just wanted to cry over this now. Happy tears or hurt tears or shock tears from all the stuff that happened this morning, she wasn't sure.

"Are you all right, Janet?"

"Yes, Reverend Snow. I'm delighted for Chrissy. Please give her my best wishes."

"Tell you what, I'll have her call you when she gets back. You have the same number right?"

"Yes sir. Well, I must be on my way. It was lovely talking to you."

"Nice talking to you. Bye, dear."

"Bye," she barely hung up the phone by the time she started to weep again. She sat back down on the bench only to realize there was a knock on the door. It was Jack. She got up and let herself out into Jack's extended arms. He picked her up and held her tight. He never hugged her like this but it felt so good that she fully embraced him back, instinctively wrapping her legs around him. And for a time, that was how they stayed.


	4. Chapter 4

"Jack's Bistro. This is Jack Tripper speaking."

"Jack," Terri says into the phone trying to get the comb unstuck from her hair. "Where's Janet? I haven't seen or heard from her all day today."

"She's going to hang out here. That Mrs. Roper you met last night died just when Janet went to go see her."

"Oh no." The news had caused Terri to smear her bright pink lipstick on the side of her mouth.

"Yeah. She's really upset about that and she found out our old roommate ran off and got married."

"Do you mean Cindy's cousin?" Terri remembers while wiping her mouth with a tissue.

"Yeah. Her name is Chrissy."

"Yep. I remember you telling me about her."

"Well, she's here. She's just going to hang out in the apartment upstairs while I work. We'll be home after close."

"Okay, Jack. I have to go and get dressed and for God's sake, wipe that dirty little smirk off your face!"

She knew him so well! Jack could only laugh. He gave up trying to defend himself a long time ago.

"You will never change, will you?"

"You love me as I am and you know it!"

"You're right. Bye, Jack."

"Bye, Honey."

The dinner rush came marching in as he hung up the phone with Terri. A pretty good crowd for a Thursday night. Everybody from couples on a date night to families who just wanted a dinner out instead of home cooking. Ceasar salad and coq au vin sold like hot hams and christmas and especially the little kids gobbled up the chocolate mousse for dessert. Jack was so busy he couldn't believe it when ten o'clock rolled around.

He did his usual clean up and looked over the books. Every night seemed to be looking better and better money wise. He was starting to catch up to Mr. Angelino's demands and still have some leftover. A sense of pride instead of doubt has overcome him and his confidence has been soaring.

_Janet!_ He had almost forgotten her as he was headed out towards the door. Oh, how she would never let him forget about he had locked her up for the night in the restaurant! He didn't bother to turn the lights on and tripped up the stairs on the way to the apartment, banging his head on the door. As always, he quickly shakes off the injury and goes inside.

Janet had fallen asleep in front of the t.v. The elven o'clock news blaring inside the room. He flips on the light switch and turns the t.v off and she still doesn't budge. Jack wishes he didn't have to bug her, she looks so peaceful right now. He lays down next to her, strokes her dark hair away from her forhead and gives her a peck on the lips. She slowly wakes up with a smile on her face and it makes him playfully massage her head harder.

"Hi, Honey," Janet says still half asleep.

"Time to go home, Babe."


	5. Chapter 5

"Theresa," the charge nurse calls out to Teri from behind the nurse's desk.

"Mary," Teri answers back while walking up to the desk. "Can you please call me Teri? I don't like being called Theresa."

"Theresa is your biblical name, dear and I perfer to use people's biblical names."

"Okay, fine," she was not in the mood to get in an argument with her.

"Anyways," Mary continued. "We are going to have to mandate you tonight."

"Again? I just worked two doubles last week!"

"I'm sorry but we just don't have enough help. By the way, Linda needs help in room 219. The patient is a little combative."

"Right on it, Mary," she says scuffing and turning on her heels. This place was driving her crazy with all the hours. She always wanted to be a nurse and be of service to others but this job was taking a toll on her. She was thinking maybe a doctor's office where the hours were more reasonable would be a nice change. Then again, a hospital kept you on your toes with unexpected cases. Not just a little boy with the stomach bug or a little girl with a sinus infection. Yeah, doctor's office would be too vanilla and boring.

"What's the story, Linda?"

"Elizabeth needs to go to the bathroom."

Teri quickly puts on a pair of gloves and gets ready to deal with yet another combative patient . Her patient was Elizabeth Copley; an elderly woman who had broken both her legs in a fall. She was a tiny lady. Couldn't have been more than 5 feet tall and very thin. Her thoughts and behavior were beginning to resemble that of a person with dementia. Not suprising considering Elizabeth was ninety going on ninety one.

"Okay, Elizabeth, I got to roll you over so we can get you on the bedpan," Teri says feeling around the bed trying to find room for her to roll.

"I don't need no pan! I need to go home!"

"You can't go home Elizabeth. Your legs are broken and you can't ambulate yourself."

"Bitch!"

That was when Elizabeth decided to punch Teri in her face. She got her right in her left eye. Teri knew it was going to be a shiner for sure. She let out a wail of pain and shock. Being the professional she tried to be at her job, she quickly regained her composure and successfully helped Linda get her on the bedpan.

"Are you okay, Teri?" Linda asks as soon as they walk out of Elizabeth's room.

"Linda, let me tell you my night so far. I've had a colostomy bag burst on me. A head trauma patient threw up down my shirt and into my cleavage, and now I got socked in the eye!"

"Sounds like another night in paradise."

"Yeah and to top it all off I got mandated again so I'm now in the middle of a double shift here!"

"Well, ya know that male roommate of yours? The one you said was a real gutterhead?"

"Yeah. What about him?" Teri asks, not being able to help smiling at Linda's description.

"Well, tell him about the patient barfing in your cleavage and I'm sure he'll never give you any grief again!"

The two girls howled with laughter. Hey, you have to have a sense of humor to be a nurse.


	6. Chapter 6

"Jack! Jack!"

It was nine o'clock in the morning and Larry had taken the pleasure of waking them by pounding on the door, screaming Jack's name. Jack rolled out of bed and grunted. What the hell did he need now? Coffee? Sugar? Maybe both coffee and sugar? No better yet, breakfast! Yeah, just mooch breakfast in one fell swoop, Jack wouldn't be amazed by that.

"What do you want now, Larry?" Jack asks annoyed when opening the door.

"Look at this!" Larry exclaims handing Jack the obituary part of the newspaper. Right at the top of the page was Helen Roper's. She was born Helen Mary Malone on March 13th, 1926. She was the daughter of Frances Baker and George Malone. She was the sister of Elizabeth Pritzker and John Malone. She and Stanley were married April 15th, 1945. They had no children. There would be no calling hours and a private funeral was to be held.

"What? No calling hours?" Jack asks out loud in amazement.

"Yeah, go figure. Hey, how come I had to find out this way? How come you didn't let me know she died?"

"I was never home to tell ya, Lare. I picked up Janet and we pretty much spent the day and night at the restaurant."

"Oooh, a day with Janet!" Larry exclaims with that childish, googly eyed look.

"Shut up,Larry," he says slapping him in the arm with the newspaper. "Janet was really upset. She saw Mrs. Roper deceased, you know."

"Hey, hey," he says raising his arm up in a truce. "If I had known I would have said anything."

"That's okay."

That's when Janet walked out of the bedroom. She wasn't wearing her usual sportswear nightshirts, she was wearing a slinky, pink teddy. Both Jack and Larry were suprised she didn't even wear a robe to cover herself up.

"Um, hey, Jan, Larry's here," Jack says just to see what kind of reaction would rise out of Janet.

"Good for him."

That was all she had to say about that. Jack was stunned. Janet would usually be embarrassed to seen by Larry looking like that. She didn't even look at him as she walked by and into the kitchen. What was up with her?

"Did you want something, Larry?" Jack asks trying to shake off Janet's snub.

"No, just wanted you to see the paper. See ya," he says turning on his heels and out the door.

"See ya."

Jack shuts the door and walks into the ktichen to talk with Janet. He couldn't get over how uncharacteristic that was for her to do that. He could start to smell coffee brewing. That was a sign he thought. Janet wouldn't be able to live without her coffee.

"Janet," he says her name walking in. She was sitting at the kitchen table crying again.

"What's the matter, honey?" He walks over and rubs her shoulder.

"I had a bad dream," she says letting the tear roll.

"What about?"

"That I was lost and couldn't find anybody. Not you, Teri, Larry, Mr. Furley, nobody. I called for you guys but still nobody came to find me."

Jack kneels down and hugs his poor Janet. He figured she was afraid of ending up alone ever since Mrs. Roper died alone. Or maybe she always had this fear? That could explain why she had this independent, strong front up all the time. Deep down was this insecure, frightened little girl.

"You're okay, Sweetheart."


	7. Chapter 7

"I'm worried about Janet, Teri," Jack says into the telephone at the restaurant.

"How come?" Teri asks sticking another potato chip into her mouth. She finally had a day off and was spending it in front of the t.v with a bowl of chips. Definately her idea of a perfect work free day.

"She has just been acting so depressed and she's been having bad dreams. I just wish I knew what to do to help her."

"Jack," she says putting the bowl down on the coffee table. "She is a strong girl, she will get over this. She's just grieving, that's all."

"It's just hard."

"You really love her, don't cha?" she asks only half-kidding.

"Of course I do, as a _friend_. You are a friend, too, and I love you, _Theresa_!" He says with an added tongue out even though she couldn't see it.

"You won't be my friend for very long if you call me that one more time!"

"Oooooh!" Mock horror from Jack's mouth.

"Jack Tripper, I'm going to stick flour up your nose and bake your face!"

"Sure, right after you learn how to turn the oven on!"

"Hey, you know how much the smoke detector loves me! You'll be burning and not for love!"

They are both laughing now. It was all in good fun. They could laugh at each other and themselves and not worry about hurting one another's feelings. Jack thought about how that was the case with Janet but now a days not so much. He had to shut his mind off with that, though, it would make him sad all over again.

"Hi, Teri!" Jack heard the Janet he used to know over the phone. Well, that's got to be a good sign.

"Jack's on the phone, Jan," Teri says holding the receiving end of the phone.

"Oh, may I?" she asks taking the phone as soon as Teri nods. "Hi, Jack!"

"Hey, Baby, are you okay?"

"Yes, I had a good day at work. I want to apologize for this morning. I know I have been a little out of shape lately."

"It's okay. Well, I better get going now. Some customers just walked in."

"Okay, Jack. I love you."

"I love you, too, Baby. Tell Teri I love her too and bye."

"Okay, bye, hon."

Janet hangs up the phone with a smile on her face. She looks over at Teri to find a suprised yet suspicious look on her face.

"What's that look for?" Janet says heading into her bedroom.

"Since when do you tell Jack you love him?" Teri says with a little wise ass look on her face.

"Don't worry, he says he loves you, too," she informs shutting the door behind her.

"He better."


	8. Chapter 8

It had been a long, busy night and Jack was ready to hit the sheets. He was so tired he may has well have been sleep walking. He just slipped off all his clothes except his boxers and left the light off the whole time.

That's when the dream began. He moved his arm only to realize there was someone next to him. A woman, nonetheless. He could tell his hand was a breast. The woman gave an encouraging moan as he continued to let his hand carress her from the breast, down her back and palm her butt. She responds with her body, not her voice. He instinctively rolls on top of her and just does with her what he wants. He prays she just lays there and keeps quiet. Before he knows it, it's he's satisfied, dozes off and rolls off of her.

Then he woke up. He senses the sun was already coming out and glances over at the alarm clock. Eight in the morning! It was just eleven thirty a half an hour ago or so it felt. He just noticed how that is not his alarm clock. His was black and this one was pink and white. His headstand was not his, this one was white while his was just plain old wood. Where the hell was he?

"Good morning, Jack," Janet says groggily.

"Janet!" he hops out of what he realizes is her bed. He was in her room all night. That was when the most horrifying thought crossed his mind. Was it just a dream or was it Janet?

"Jack, it's okay," she says getting up and giving him a hug.

"What's okay?" Jack asks suspiciously.

"What happened last night. It's okay."

"I wasn't dreaming. You were the girl, weren't you?"

She breaks off the hug and gives him a nod with a smile. He just stands there in shock. Why did she lay there and let him do that to her? After all the times she had lectured him about not being able to control his urges and breaking the ground rules.

"Honey, don't feel bad. Do you know how long I have been waiting for this?"

"Waiting for this? What?"

"Jack, I have done a lot of thinking and some things in life you just can't fight. You just can't control," she sits down on the bed and tries to find the right words. Jack sits beside her and holds her hand.

"Anyway," she says finding the strength to continue. "I guess what I've learned is you only live once. I have been so careful all my life and I don't know, I just want to let my gaurd down and enjoy it before I don't have one anymore."

'Do you know what we did?"

"Yes. Why did you think I was so quiet? Once you found out it was me, you would have stopped. I didn't want you to stop."

Jack couldn't believe what he was going on. He was happy about it; no need to feel guilty about it since she wanted it as badly as he.

"So am I allowed to ask you if I was your first?"

"Yes, you were my first. You were amazing," she says as they plant kisses on each other's cheeks.

"What are we going to tell Teri?" Jack asks suddenly in horror. Did she see them? How is she going to react.

"Well," Teri begins explaining in the doorway, startling them both. "I was asleep on the couch when I heard you come in Jack. I was going to say you were in the wrong room but from the sounds of things you two didn't mind, so why should I?" She ends with a laugh. What a relief!


	9. Chapter 9

"Open up!"

It was Ralph Furley banging on the door. Oh God, this was never good. Jack sprang up from Janet's bed to go answer the door. He looked back at Janet and saw she had her wide-eyed look she always had when she got nervous. He shoved past Teri and just focused on opening the door.

"Jack! Janet!" He was still pounding and screaming when Jack finally turned the knob.

"What's up?" Jack asks calmly as possible.

"What in the world was going on last night?"

Jack gulped down the lump in his throat. He was afraid of what Mr. Furley was getting at. Were Janet and him that loud?

"Last night? Well, I slept like a baby last night, Mr. Furley," he says swaying his hand in the air like he didn't care what might have happened.

"Look, I don't know what all that banging was, but cut it out! I couldn't sleep last night because of whatever!"

"Well," Janet squeakingly says from behind her bedroom door. "I was rearranging furniture, Mr. Furley."

"At three o'clock in the morning? Are you nuts?"

"Nope," Teri says wrapping her arm around Janet's shoulder. "Just a case of insomnia."

"Well, I hope you get cured soon because I can't stand it!"

He looked at all three of them before he headed back out the door, shaking his head in disbelief in the process. They always knew how to drive him nuts. He was muttering to himself all the way down the stairs back to his apartment. Those kids were crazy!

"That was a good one, Jan," Teri says complimenting her friend.

"Yeah, I have good ideas once in a while," she says shrugging it off.

"I'm going to go cook breakfast," Jack says heading into the kitchen.

"What are you going to make?" Janet asks plopping down on the couch.

"French toast. I'm going to use up this bread before it gets moldy."

"Jack!" Janet exclaimed. He just couldn't help himself with his disgusting humor. Teri laughed as she sat down beside her. Teri always had a great laugh that made her laugh. She realized how this morning seemed like a normal morning. Today was a day when she felt normal after all that had happened. What the hell was normal anyway? It was just their life.


End file.
